A Jan. 19 video post of a Facebook (FB) user asked netizens to watch a news report about the death of two individuals who were poisoned after drinking milk tea, and warned those who are fond of the beverage to be more careful.
This is misleading. The news report about the demise of a customer and a milk tea shop owner is six years old. It was aired by GMA News’ Balitanghali on April 11, 2015 and said the two collapsed after sipping Okinawa milk tea in a store in Sampaloc, Manila.
The National Nutrition Council, as well as health experts in Singapore’s Mount Alvernia Hospital and a health coalition in the United States, warned that drinking too much milk tea can promote obesity, increase risk of anemia, and lead to Type 2 diabetes. None of them stated that consuming milk tea can be poisonous. The Department of Health called it an isolated incident.
While several netizens pointed out that the video was an old news report, many more tagged others and warned them about drinking milk tea.
Theresa Ann Cid, ex-director of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, confirmed on May 11, 2015 that a poisonous, colorless substance called oxalic acid was detected in the cadavers of the two victims, as reported by ABS-CBN, Rappler, and the Philippine Star.
Oxalic acid, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is commonly used in laundries to remove rust and iron stains. It is harmful if swallowed.
The Manila Prosecutor’s Office dismissed murder and frustrated murder charges against the son of the deceased milk tea shop owner on Dec. 3, 2015 and said reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and serious physical injury could not be alleged due to lack of evidence, as reported by news organizations.
The FB netizen’s misleading video garnered a total of 32,000 reactions, 8,800 comments, 119,000 shares and four million views. It was sourced from a Jan. 18 video uploaded by TikTok user @balisong_batangas, which got over 6,800 interactions.
A total of 53 FB pages and groups re-shared or re-uploaded the video from Jan. 26 to Jan. 31, garnering 1,000 interactions. Netizens are still commenting on, or sharing the misleading content to this day.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
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